Jun 8 (FT) Labour Minister is in the process of consulting various parties with the intention of bringing amendments to the labour law. A few weeks ago I was approached by Saman Ratnapriya, consultant on trade union matters at the Presidential Secretariat, regarding this matter. Saman is a veteran trade unionist with whom I have worked, especially, in relation to dispute settlement in the public sector. I reminded him that although we have had many drafts, suggestions and dialogue more..

Jun 8 (SLN) SL Navy apprehended 18 individuals for their involvement in illegal fishing activities, during separate operations conducted in the sea areas of Veththalakerni, Kadaikadu, Mamunei and Kudarappu in Jaffna on 6th June 2023. The operations also led to the seizure of 669 sea cucumbers, 06 dinghies as well as diving and fishing equipment used for illegal fishing. The Navy carries out regular operations in the coastal and sea areas around the island, with a view to prevent illegal fishing practices more..

Jun 8 (AD) The NPP is planning to launch a series of protests from today to urge the authorities to expedite the Provincial Council (PC) elections. According to former JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti, the first protest march will be kicked off in front of the Election Secretariat premises in Rajagiriya. However, Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court on Wednesdayissued an order against 26 individuals in total, including NPP leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, NPP chief secry Tilvin Silva, more..

Jun 8 (DM) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was forced out of office in June last year has been allocated a new luxury bungalow sponsored by the State situated in Stanmore Crescent which is usually assigned to the Foreign Minister. Former presidents are entitled to a house sponsored by the state in accordance with the law governing the perks and privileges of the retired heads of state. However, the law is not clear more..

Jun 8 (Reuters) SL cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka will stand trial on a rape charge stemming from an alleged incident which occurred while he was in Australia to play in the Twenty20 World Cup last year. 32-year-old, who was suspended by SLC immediately after his arrest last November, had three of the four sexual assault charges he faced dropped last month. Gunathilaka entered a not guilty plea to the remaining charge of sexual intercourse without consent at a local court in Sydney more..

Jun 8 (DM) Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa has decided to resign from his post with effect from Saturday (10). A senior official of his office said that governor had sent his resignation to Prez Wickremesinghe. Governor had been functioning in his post with effect from Sept 21, 2019. He had functioned as the Governor of the Central Province from Dec 16, 2005 to Jan 19, 2015 before he was appointed as Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province. more..

Jun 8 (EN) Trade unions and professional associations in SL have asked Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to reveal a proposed amendment to the govt�s progressive income taxation policy before the end of a June deadline. Representatives of the self-styled Professionals� Trade Union Alliance (PTUA) collective handed over a note to Prez on Wednesday reminding him of a promise he is claimed to have made to the group regarding an amendment more..

Jun 8 (AD) Ministry of Agriculture has decided to import hatching eggs through the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB). Thereby, arrangements have been made to import 176,000 hatching eggs instead of mother hens in a bid to solve the current shortage of chicken meat and eggs in the country. NLDB chairman, Prof. H.W. Cyril mentioned that Sri Lanka is expecting 44,000 eggs per week within a period of one month. A discussion was held at the Ministry of Agriculture this morning more..

Jun 8 (EN) State-run Airport and Aviation Services of SL is planning aircraft dismantling center at Mattala Rajapaksa I'l airport, as part of several new activities to boost revenues, Chairman G A Chandrasiri has said. To boost utilization of the airport govt approval has been received for several new activities including aircraft parking, a maintenance repair & overhaul (MRO) centre and cargo transshipment. Aircraft Disassembly and Recycling is also a promising revenue earner, more..

Jun 8 (AD) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has revealed that less than half of the fuel stations operated by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) have maintained the minimum required stocks on all products last week. Accordingly, only 432 fuel stations out of the 1,050 operated by CPC had maintained the minimum required stocks of all products, as per a revelation made during a progress meeting held with CPC and the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd (CPSTL) more..

Jun 8 (IOL) South Africa A registered a five-wicket victory over SL A in Kandy to win the 50-over series 2-1 on Thursday. The stage was set for an enthralling finish to the first series of the A tour between South Africa and SL. The series was level at 1-1 heading into Thursday's unofficial one-day international fixture with the tourists having won the first match and the hosts having bounced back in the second match, to leave the series to be decided in the third and last game. more..

Jun 8 (AD) An agreement has been signed between the Govt of Sri Lanka and RM Parks Inc, in collaboration with Shell Plc for a long-term contract for the importation, storage, distribution, and sale of petroleum products in Sri Lanka. The Contract Agreement was signed, a short while ago, at the Presidential Secretariat, following the recommendations of the Cabinet Appointed Special Committee, President�s Media Division said. more..

Jun 8 (DM) Former SL captain Mahela Jayawardene, who is a Consultant Coach for the national cricket team, will travel with the team to Zimbabwe where SL is set to play its Cricket World Cup qualifying matches. The squad is expected to leave for Zimbabwe tomorrow. It is still not known whether a squad of 15 or 16 players will be boarding the flight but it is almost confirmed that those who were selected for the recent ODI series against Afghanistan will be retained. more..

Jun 8 (EN) Individuals who open income tax accounts under a gazette notice will not be asked questions on tax returns not filed of prior years, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. SL issued a gazette requiring, doctors, lawyers and vehicle owners to open an income tax account from June 1, and anyone over 18 years from next year. �The income tax applies to year 2022/2023,� Minister told parliament. �If there is no special reason we will not be asking about the past. more..

Jun 8 (DM) Judicial Service Association of SL (JSASL), sole organization representing all the District Court judges and Magistrates in the country has expressed its dissatisfaction regarding the President's decision to appoint former Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Tikiri Jayathilaka and Senior State Counsel Nayani Kasthuriratne as High Court judges. In a letter to Prez Wickremesinghe, JSASL is of the view that more..

Jun 8 (TM) Court of Appeal (CA) today 8 June handed down a six-month rigorous imprisonment sentence to Retired Major Ajith Prasanna after he pleaded guilty to charges of contempt of court. As per the court order, the prison term will begin once he completes the four-year sentence he is serving. It is worth noting that in Jan 2023, Prasanna was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court (SC). The charges against him are based on statements he made on more..

Jun 8 (DM) Although oranges are cultivated in many districts in the country, the Agriculture Ministry has decided to provide the necessary financial allocations for the cultivation of mandarin oranges in the lower areas of the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts. This was revealed following a discussion at the ministry to utilise the funds allocated in the 2023 budget for new cultivation projects. There is a huge demand for mandarin oranges, and a huge amount of foreign more..

Jun 8 (Island) SL�s Ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona has called for the revival of the spirit of adventure, travel and discovery by today�s inheritors of the Fa Xian tradition. Dr. Kohona said so as the chief guest at the 1689th birth anniversary celebration of monk Fa Xian at the city of Linfen in Shanxi. While marveling at the incredibly arduous journey undertaken by Fa Xian, he welcomed the revival of the spirit of adventure, travel and discovery by today�s inheritors of the Fa Xian tradition. more..

Jun 8 (EN) Mojo Lanka mobile and digital journalism festival, organized by USAID and IREX for journalists and content creators in Sri Lanka, will be held on June 24 and 25 at Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Colombo, a joint statement said. The two-day festival intends to educate content creators on the latest trends, including the powerful impact of citizen journalism, strategies to combat fake news, and techniques for growing an audience for digital content. more..

Jun 8 (TM) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) is in discussion with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to obtain $60 million to provide concessional loans to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. He said that to address the liquidity issue faced by the MSME sector of the country, CBSL has initiated discussions with IFC to obtain $60 mil to provide low-interest loans to the sector. more..

Jun 8 (AD) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved Sri Lanka�s eligibility to access concessional financing. The availability of concessional assistance, offered at low interest rates, broadens Sri Lanka�s options to bridge its urgent development financing needs to restore economic stability and deliver essential services, particularly to the poor and vulnerable, the Philippines‎-based regional development bank said in a press release. more..

Jun 8 (DM) MP Harsha de Silva�s appointment as the chairman of the Public Finance Committee (COPF) is welcome, but it is a bad precedent as it violates Standing Orders, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament today. �We welcome the appointment of Dr. de Silva but we like to note that he has been appointed by violating Standing Orders. Standing Orders are violated as Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe had to come to Parliament to appoint him to the post,� Mr. Premadasa said. more..

Jun 8 (EN) SL�s law implementing police officials and health workers among the top in violating the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ), according to a study, citing the complaints at the local Human Rights Commission and police. A study conducted by Bridge to Equality, a civil rights group concerned over LGBTQ in SL, shows that 160 rights violation cases reported to the police out of a total 235 during 18 mo period more..

Jun 8 (EN) Shares closed higher on Thursday, as investor sentiments picked up on lowered inflation and policy rate cuts, after two consecutive losses in previous sessions due to selling interest and profit taking, an analyst said. ASPI was up 0.52% or 45.28 points to 8,767.34, this is the highest the index has been since May 18, while the most liquid index S&P SL20 was up 0.65% or 16.05 points to 2,479.87. The market was seeing gains, due to lowered policy rates and low inflation more..

Jun 8 (DM) Foreign Minister Ali Sabry refuted claims that he had provided an official residence to former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and said it should be inquired from those who had provided it. Raising a privilege issue in Parliament over a statement made by MP Shanakiya Rasamanickam, Minister said he had never occupied an official residence provided by the govt and said he was residing in his own house. "I have never used an official residence. I sometimes use the official residence more..

Jun 9 (DM) Despite the Aragalaya having failed people haven�t dismissed the idea of a system change. However according to ancient Hindu scripts the world exists because of a magical balance between good and evil that�s present. Try to make one weigh over the other and administrators would encounter problems. There had been times when Ceylon was a colony and the British had observed that Sri Lankans were cultured; specially at times of public gatherings during religious functions. more..

Jun 9 (CT) My new book, Electoral Politics in Sri Lanka: Presidential Elections, Manipulation, and Democracy, was published by Routledge (London) in July 2022. This book investigated the primary question, how do political actors manipulate elections? Sri Lanka served as the case study. Conclusions were drawn from independent analyses of all eight presidential elections conducted since 1982. Characteristically, the study led to a typology of electoral manipulation. more..

Jun 9 (TM) In a world where streaming platforms and home theatres are gaining popularity, one entrepreneur is making waves in the cinema industry with his innovative approach and unwavering passion. Thushan Meemanage, the Co-Founder of Scope Cinemas, has been redefining the movie-going experience in Sri Lanka, captivating audiences with state-of-the-art technology and an all-encompassing entertainment atmosphere. more..

Jun 9 (DM) With the possibility of restructuring domestic debt increasing, there are concerns about the impact of such a restructuring on the financial markets. A limited restructuring, in which only govt debt held by the Central Bank is restructured, is unlikely to resolve the fundamental issue of govt solvency. Indications are that only treasury bills (T-Bills) held by the Central Bank will be restructured while restructuring of treasury bonds (T-Bonds) may be expanded to the rest of the market. more..

Jun 9 (CT) Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant health challenge in Sri Lanka, just like in other nations. Conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases burden individuals, families, communities, and the healthcare system in Sri Lanka. Recognising the urgency of this issue, Cabinet this week approved the National Policy and Strategic Framework for the Prevention and Control of Chronic NCDs in Sri Lanka. more..

Jun 9 (TM) Roles and responsibilities of Parliament � main law making institution, which, being the Legislature, also functions as one of the three pillars of democracy � was questioned and criticised during the past year. While the economic crisis � for which MPs were blamed � was the main reason behind this lack of trust, political analysts point out that the collapse of public trust in the Parliament did not start recently, and more..

Jun 9 (TM) Police has shed some light on the recent revelation made by Minister Tiran Alles that approximately 5,400 Police officers have been deployed for the security of various figures, in addition to those deputed for the security of MPs including Ministers. According to SSP Nihal Thalduwa, among the non-MPs that are entitled to Police security are members of the clergy including Buddhist monks, judges, foreign diplomats, and various other individuals who have requested more..

Jun 9 (CT) According to news published in this paper yesterday, education authorities have expressed concern over the increasing dropout numbers among students in Jaffna, following the Covid-19 pandemic. The matter had been brought up during the recent Jaffna District Development Committee meeting held at the Jaffna District Secretariat. It was further revealed that some children who had dropped out of school were engaged in child labour in various locations in Jaffna. more..

Jun 9 (Island) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana finds himself in an unenviable position over the arrest of ACTC leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who was granted bail after being produced before the Kilinochchi Magistrate�s Court, on Wednesday. He is under fire from the Opposition, which says he did precious little to prevent Ponnambalam�s arrest, but the govt MPs have endorsed police action. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has said he does not approve of more..

Jun 9 (Island) Since 1980s, with economic liberalisation, the opening of the country for tourism, exposure of children to electronic media and the increased migration of mothers for employment as house maids in the Middle East, there has been a continuous, visible increase in the incidents of child sexual abuse and other acts of child abuse in SL, which has earned notoriety as a paradise of foreign paedophiles. Incidents of child sexual abuse are frequently reported in the national press. more..